Good Cheap Eats Dinner in 30 Minutes or Less: Fresh, Fast, and Flavorful Home-Cooked Meals, with More Than 200 Recipes

What a lovely cookbook! First and foremost, for me, a cookbook has to *look* delicious. A cookbook without pictures is like a vacation with no photos...I need proof of deliciousness! And the pictures in Ms. Fisher's book are scrumptious. There are so many colors, textures, and flavors that literally jump off the page; it's a tempting endeavor just to thumb through this book.The recipes themselves are wonderful! I've had the book for just over a week, and I've cooked from it five times. The Biscuit Pizza with Sausage and Peppers (p. 146) made me a hero in my household, and it was so easy to prepare. The biscuit crust makes it seem like you've slaved for hours, but it's really a quick prep. The accompanying Marinated Olive and Tomato Salad (p. 148) was really delicious. Don't miss the great spice mix recipes included in this book; Jamie's Spice Mix and FishMama Spice will save you money and up the "wow factor" in your meals.The Chicken Tikka Masala (p. 251) is out-of-this-world phenomenal. I've tried for years to replicated Indian fare at home, and the techniques and time savings on this dish make it a winner. My husband literally wept over this dish, it's that delicious. The accompanying Coconut Rice is so full of flavor, it won raves from everyone in our house.One of my favorite parts of this book is the pairings. The menus are pulled together in two-item increments. It's a realistic amount of cooking for 30 minutes, and I'm not killing myself to have a main and five side dishes. Simplicity rules. And when you've got great flavor and plenty of healthy ingredients, you really don't need to work so hard! (As my mother likes to say, "Work smarter, not harder.") I tend to overthink with menu planning, and the pairings in this book help me cool it with the fussiness.The tips and tricks generously sprinkled throughout the book are wonderful. So many money saving ideas, prep tips, and strategies. I love the author's focus on healthy, delicious fare that's fabulous without being fussy or frou-frou. I'm a huge Ina Garten fan, and Ms. Fisher's books have a permanent home right next to Ina's on my kitchen counter. Jessica Fisher knows how to cook, and her recipes reflect that. She's a straight-forward writer, an exceptionally gifted recipe developer and chef, and this book is going to be a lifesaver for me and my busy family. Do yourself a favor and invest in this book; your family will be thrilled, you'll save money on your food bill, and your taste buds will dance a jig!

The first thing I do with any cookbook is sit down and flip through it from cover to cover. If I find myself half-way through with only a page or two dogeared to try later, I know I've landed on a dud. Jessica Fisher has NOT written a "dud" in  Good Cheap Eats Dinner in 30 Minutes or Less: Fresh, Fast, and Flavorful Home-Cooked Meals, with More Than 200 Recipes  - after 20 pages, almost all of them were dogeared to try! Mexican, Chinese, French - I was stunned by the plethora of options as I skimmed through, and kept reminding myself, "they only take 30 minutes or less!"I've known Jessica for several years through the online world, and because I've been watching her changing food habits with her family (more "from scratch", fewer "added ingredients") and it's the same path my husband and I have chosen, I was willing to shell out money to give her newest cookbook a try. Plus, 30 minutes or less? I may not have 6 children that I homeschool, but after a long day of work - heck yes!This book truly is for EVERYONE. I've already recommended it to empty-nesters, young families, singles who think a PB &J is all they have time to eat, and grandmothers looking to send a care package to college-age grandchildren. The recipes are easy, quick, and tasty - and SO much better for you than opting for takeout when time is short!

I've never written a review on a book. But Jessica Fisher has helped, and continues to help me with homemaking tremendously. I don't know her. We've never met, but her blogs and suggestions are spot on.I've made a handful of recipes so far out of this cookbook. I haven't had it that long. I love the 2 component menu system in this book. It's genius--not too much, not too little. Plus, everything comes together so quickly, and tastes really good!People need to know Jessica Fisher's work-- her blogs, cookbooks, e-books, all of it-- is good and useful for anybody trying to make a house a home for their loved ones.

I've been a reader of Jessica Fisher's blogs for several years now, and just bought this newest cookbook. These are some great family meals with different flavors. Nothing too complicated, but healthy and flavorful food.This book is arranged a little bit differently than some, and that is a handy feature. Food is separated into categories. Between that and the helpful index, it is easy to find something good to eat. The photography is nice, and I really like the "suggested side" feature that comes with each recipe.She does an excellent job of finding the balance between scratch made healthy foods and time saving quick meals. We had the Greek beef wraps last night and they were a hit.

I've made several dishes and meals from this cookbook since I ordered it about a month ago and every last one of them has been a hit with my super-picky DH. I've found that most of them can be whipped up in about 30 minutes or so and I haven't come across a hard-to-find ingredient yet. Overall the presentation is beautiful with a lot of gorgeous color photos and the layout is very straightforward with only one recipe per page and with either the "menu" or a quick-tip in the margin. I've become a big Jessica Fisher fan since I've gotten married and added kiddos to my life and I think this is her best cookbook yet!

The recipes seem simple and flavorful. I like that she includes a side dish recommendation and recipe. I would recommend this cookbook to anyone looking for quick tasty meals.

This is awesome. Having 3 fussy kids, I do not like having to spend a long time cooking. So far I have made the Simply Chicken Noodle Soup (they devoured it), the Easy Herbed Garlic Bread (gone in 60 seconds), the Hot Ham and Swiss Sandwiches (apparently better than Subways version) and the Easy Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese. If you want a quick, easy, nutritious and tasty meal then this is a great buy. Very clear instructions and if the page does not have a picture of the finished product you can visit 'Good Cheap Eats' on the web to view one.

This is now my "go to" cook book. There's not one single recipe in the book that my family hasn't liked!

Really truly 30 min or less! I love that she includes side dish options with every recipe, including a recipe for a side dish thats factored into the 30 min or less.